Our Fifth Season: A Preview

Each of our seasons follows a regular schedule, including an outdoor performance of a Shakespeare classic in July (Kabuki Titus, performances on NOW!) followed by the “Venetian season,” which includes four plays consisting of a classic of American theatre in September; a holiday show in December; a major adaptation of Shakespeare in March; and an English classic in May.

The 2012-2013 Season follows this same formula, and we could NOT be more excited about our line up! This is our fifth year as the inhouse theatre company at the Venetian Theatre, and we are pulling out all the stops; From the dustbowl of California during the Great Depression to the delightfully English Farndale Avenue…from an ocean liner on the Atlantic to 1950s London…this season takes our patrons on a whirlwind trip through some of the best-known American and English plays in history…and a few new classics, too!
Our 2012-2013 Venetian Season features four professional productions performed live on the incredible Venetian stage in downtown Hillsboro. As usual, each show is a major rethinking of a classic…a novel new approach to a play, a playwright or a story you THOUGHT you knew, done Bag&Baggage style! Season Tickets are still available, and are incredibly affordable…so get your tickets TODAY or give them as a gift to friends and family!

“Of Mice and Men,” by John Steinbeck, directed by Scott Palmer

Runs September 27-October 14.

As powerful today as when it was first produced on Broadway in 1937, Of Mice and Men is a moving, heart-wrenching and profoundly beautiful tale of love, friendship and struggle. One of the great classics of American literature AND a great classic of the American stage! George and Lenny, and their haunting friendship, are at the heart of this timely tale of two men struggling to live in the dustbowl of California during the Great Depression. Directed by Artistic Director Scott Palmer with designs by Gregory Pulver, our version promises to be both visually and emotionally stunning! Of Mice and Men opens the fifth season in the Venetian Theatre and stars some of your favorite Bag&Baggage regulars, including Peter Schyuler as George, Ian Armstrong as Carlton and Cassie Greer as Curley’s Wife.

“The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Town Women’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of ‘A Christmas Carol'” by David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin, Jr., directed by Scott Palmer.

Runs December 6-23.

The genteel English ladies from Farndale Avenue’s Dramatic Society are world-renowned for their complete incompetence, and their production of “A Christmas Carol” is likely to be their worst (and funniest) yet! Think Downton Abbey meets The Three Stooges…in drag! A disaster prone stage manager, collapsing scenery and hysterical in-fighting amongst the cast help make this truly unique show truly “HILARIOUS!” Farndale Avenue will never be the same, and you’ll never think of Tiny Tim and the Ghosts of Christmas the same way, either! Starring Patrick Spike, Ian Armstrong, Tylor Neist and Sean Powell…some of the very funniest “men” in the Bag&Baggage barn!

“The Merry Wives of Windsor, or the Amorous Adventures of the Comical Knight Sir John Falstaff,” by William Shakespeare, adapted by John Dennis, further adaptation by Scott Palmer. Directed by Scott Palmer.

Runs March 7-March 24.

John Dennis (a relatively unknown playwright from the Restoration period) wrote his adaptation of Merry Wives in 1647…Only one copy of the script still exists, and Bag&Baggage has found it! Artistic Director Scott Palmer has combined Shakespeare’s classic romantic romp with Dennis’ trimmed down, fast paced adaptation, added a few of his own surprises, and created our very own world premiere: The Merry Wives of Windsor or the Amorous Adventures of the Comical Knight Sir John Falstaff ! Starring Gary Strong (Sir Toby Belch from Bag&Baggage’s 2010 hit Twelfth Night) as Falstaff, and Arianne Jacques, Cassie Greer and Megan Carver as the women who love to hate him. Like our “Tempest, or the Enchanted Isle” last summer, our production of Merry Wives will be the first time the script has seen the light of day since the late 1600s!

“Rough Crossing,” by Tom Stoppard, directed by Scott Palmer.
Runs May 9-26.

The co-authors, composer and cast of a musical comedy destined for Broadway are trying to both rehearse and finish writing the play while onboard a transatlantic ocean liner. But when the lead actress is caught in a “compromising” situation, the author refuses to finish the play! Tom Stoppard’s unique and hilarious play is a fast paced, hysterical adaptation of Ferenc Molnar’s classic farce, The Play at the Castle. This will be a Bag&Baggage take on a wonderfully witty and insightful adaptation of one of the world’s best known comedies by one of the world‘s greatest modern playwrights. Starring Megan Carver and Benjamin Farmer, this show is full of wit, hilarity, slapstick and romance!

PLUS A BONUS PLAY [Performance NOT included in Venetian Season Flex Pass]:

“The Velveteen Rabbit,” by David Jenkins.
Runs weekday matinees only during the December 2012 Hillsboro school break.

“The Velveteen Rabbit” is one of the most beloved children’s books ever written. First published in 1922 and written by Margery Williams, it is the story of how love can make all things possible! Bag&Baggage is delighted to present a world premiere adaptation by B&B patron David Jenkins, offered in weekday matinees only during the December school break. Starring many of your favorite B&B performers, this show promises to be a holiday experience the whole family can treasure! This is also our first official co-production with Tears of Joy Puppet Theatre and will star some of B&B’s best acting talent alongside the magical puppet creations of Tears of Joy!

Bag&Baggage Season Passes:

The Venetian Season pass includes Of Mice and Men, The Farndale Avenue…A Christmas Carol, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Rough Crossing. $90 adults, $62 students/seniors.

The Platinum Pass includes the four plays in the Venetian, plus Kabuki Titus and The Velveteen Rabbit. $119 adults, $84 students/seniors.

Unlike a traditional subscription package, Passes can be purchased now, and then redeemed later for your specific performance choices. You get a significant discount off the price of single tickets, but with the flexibility of choosing your performance later. A Pass saves you approximately 15% off standard single ticket prices.

Get passes on the website, www.bagnbaggage.org; call the box office: 503-345-9590; or visit the Venetian Theatre box office at 253 E. Main St., Hillsboro, OR 97123 in person Monday-Friday between 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm.

Click HERE to visit our website and buy season tickets today!